Fence charging device



y 1943 c. GALLOT arm. 2,319,449

FENCE CHARGING DEVICE Filed lay 6, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet l INVENTORS frmwzz: 6111107- BY 415:22' flzpz/mw ATTORNEY.

May 18, 1943 c. GALLOT z-rrm. 2,319,449

FENCE CHARGING DEVICE Filed May 6, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 arr INVENTORS (A Awa 6141.407 BY 6 155??- HIP/406,9

ATTORNEY.

Patented May 18, 1943 FENCE CHARGING DEVICE Charles Gallot and Algal: Alpaugh, Milwaukee,

Application May 6, 1940, Serial No. 333,691

6 Claim.

This invention relates primarily to a charging device for electric fences, although certain features thereof are also applicable to other uses.

This application is a continuation in part of our co-pending application, Serial No. 152,704, illed July 9, 1937, now Patent #2,202,691.

In the application above identified, there is disclosed a fence charging device capable of giving to a fence brief high potential electric charges, recurring at spaced intervals, which render the fence effective as an animal barrier without danger of electrocution. The timing of the charges is accomplished by a ball which, travelling down a raceway, closes the switch of an electromagnetic device, which thereupon drives the ball back up the incline again and briefly charges the fence. The arrangement is such that should operation cease from any clause, the device will come to rest with all the switches in open position, so that no charge other than the brief one of normal operation can be delivered to the fence.

Although the device of the former application can be restarted from a rest position by manual operation of the ball, yet this is inconvenient and involves danger of interference with the working of the device. One object of the present invention therefore is to provide a self-starting switch for such a device.

Another object is to interrelate the operation of such a self-starting switch, with the other circuits of the device, in such manner as to eliminate the possibility of prolonged charging of the fence. 7

Another object is to interrelate the electric circuits with an on-and-oif switch in such manner that the device will start operation automatically upon throwing of the switch to the on position.

Other objects and advantages will appear, expressed or implied, from the following description of an electric charging device embodying the present invention.

Figure 1 is a diagrammatic view of an electric fence charger having a simple self-starting switch device incorporated therein.

Fig. 2 is a partial diagrammatic view of a modiflcation of the device of Fig. 1, in which the self-starting switch is combined with an on-andoff switch, for automatic starting.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view of another modiilcation of' the device, in which the starting switch also controls the fence circuit, to positively prevent charging of the fence excepting during normal operation of the device.

The fence charger illustrated in Fig. 1 is controlled by a ball I rolling up and down an inclined track H and I2. The ball is driven up the track by the power stroke of a lever l3, pivoted at H and carrying a rubber driving head [5 in position to strike the ball Hi. The lever i3 is normally retained in retracted position against a stop screw l6 by a spring H, but may be actuated by an electromagnet I8 to drive the ball along its track. Power from a battery energizes the magnet by means of a circuit 20. A contact 2| is mounted upon the lever l3, and a second contact 22 is carried by a resilient arm 23 likewise mounted on the lever Hi. The arm 23- is positioned in the path of the ball in so that impact of the ball thereagainst closes the electromagnet circuit through the contacts and causes the lever I3 to drive the ball upwardly again. As the ball leaves the arm 23, the contacts are opened and the levers resume their positions of rest.

The arm 23 is of such stiffness that the weight of the ball ID at rest against the arm will be insumcient to close the contacts 21 and 22, a positive impact of the ball being required for this purpose. For this reason, the circuit will always be open when the device is at rest.

To effect starting, provision is made for causing the lever l3 to execute an initial power stroke, and, for this purpose, an auxiliary hand switch 24 is connected across the circuit in parallel with the switch 21-22, the closing of which will of course energize the electromagnet I8 and cause the lever i 3 to execute a driving stroke. The switch 24 is preferably biased toward open position by gravity or otherwise, so as to render it inefiective at the moment it is released.

The device thus far described has, among other uses, been found useful for delivering an instantaneous high frequency charge to an electric fence. For this purpose the fence (not shown) is connected to the high potential secondary 25 of a transformer through a fence circuit 26. The low potential primary coil 21 of the transformer is energized from the battery i9 through a circuit 28, a switch 29 being available to cut out a portion 21' of the primary coil through a lead 39.

The circuit 28 is controlled by a novel switch described in the application above identified. It includes a contact 3| carried by an arm 32 mounted upon the lever l3 to swing therewith, and a second contact 34 carried by an arm 35 fastened to a stationary support 36. Upon delivery of a power stroke by the lever 13 in the manner previously described, the contact 3| will, at the end of the stroke, strike the contact 34, thus causing delivery of a momentary charge to the fence circuit 26.

The self-starting switch 24 in the embodiment of the device described above, is simple and efiective for the purpose, but in some cases may be disadvantageous due to the fact that if the switch is held closed, lever It may be held by the magnet in its advanced position until the ball in hascompleted its return stroke, whereupon the ball and the system would remain mechanically at rest. This dimculty is avoided with a switch of the type shown in Fig. 2, in which the self-starting switch is combined with a circuit opening switch in a simple automatic start-and-stop mechanism. In this form of device, the electromagnet i8 is connected to the circuit contacts 2| and 22 through a switch arm 24' and a switch contact 20' in the circuit 20. When the switch arm is dropped to the on position shown in dotted lines, circuit 20 is completely broken and the device will come to rest. Automatic self-starting is provided by a contact 31 which the switch arm 24' must pass in returning to the on position, the contact 31 being arranged to short the circuit 20 across the contacts 2| and 22 upon contact with the switch arm 24.

In order to prevent lengthy energization of the fence circuit 26 by protracted closing of the starting switch, the device of Fig. 2 has been arranged so that the switch arm 24 never comes to rest on the contact 31, but merely wipes across the contact in crossing from the open to the closed position. Several types of switches may be used for this purpose, but a simple toggle switch, as shown in the drawings is satisfactory. An operating lever 38 is pivoted adjacent to the switch arm 24' but for movement independently thereof, and the two arms are connected by a spring 39. When movement of the lever 38 moves the spring 38 past the center of the switch arm 24',,the switch arm will be snapped into the opposite position. This allows only momentary closing of the circuit through the contact 31' and prevents a continuous or prolonged charge in the fence circuit 26'.

The form of device shown in Fig. 3 is generally similar to that in Figs. 1 and 2, but the circuits have been rearranged somewhat so that the transformer circuit itself passes through the starting switch. The switch is of the same type as that disclosed in Fig. 2, including an operating lever 38 and a spring 39 by means of which the switch arm 40 is snapped from open to closed position and reverse. A wire. connects the switch to the battery i9. During normal operation with the switch in the on position, the wide head 42 of the switch arm 40 engages a contact 43 electrically connected to the arm 23, so that closing of the contacts 2i and 22 by the ball ill will permit energization of the magnet l8. At the same time, however, with the switch arm 40 in the on position. the broad head 42 also enga es contact 44, connected through wir 45 to contact 3! so that closing of the contacts 3| and 34 by movement of the lever 88 will permit energization of the coil 21 and thereby charge the fence circuit 26.

When the switch 40 is snapped to the o position, both the electromagnet circuit 20 and the transformer coil circuit 28 will .be positively broken. As the switch arm 40 snaps back to the on position, the head 42 will wipe across the contact 31, as in the device shown in Fig. 2, thus energizing the magnet i8, and causing the lever it to deliver the initial power stroke to the ball It. It may be noted, however, that the transformer circuit through the contact 34 can never be energized at the same time as the energization of the electromagnet through the contact 31 so that even if for any reason the switch should stick or be delayed in its passage across the con-- tact 37. and the contacts ill and 34 be thereby held in closed position by the magnet, neverth'e less no energization of the fence charging transformer coil is possible in such position.

Various changes may be made in the embodiment of the invention above specifically described without departing from or sacrificing the advantages of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. In a charger for anelectric circuit, the combination of a reciprocable member, a striker for successively driving said member in one direction. means including a normally open switch closable by successive movements of said member in an opposite direction for actuating said striker. and means for causing said striker to execute an initial power stroke.

2. In an electric controller the combination with an electric circuit of circuit closing means,

control means intermittently operating said circuit closing means, impelling means controlled by the closing of the circuit for actuating the control means, and auxiliary closing means for closing the circuit while said first named closing -means remains open to thereby cause said impelling means to execute an initial power stroke.

3. In a device of the character described, the

. combination of a reciprocable member, an inclined guide therefor, a driver disposed adjacent the lower end of said guide for driving said member upward along said guide, an electromagnet for actuating said driver, switch means non-responsive to the static weight of said member and actuated by impact of said member thereagainst for energizing said electromagnet, and additional switch means for energizing said electromagnet independently of said first named switch means.

4. In a device of the character described. the combination ofan electromagnet, switch means for actuating said magnet, control means intermittently closing said switch, said switch being normally open but being closable by impact of said control means, an impeller for said control means actuated by said magnet, an additionalmeans for actuating said magnet independently of said switch means, said additional means in cluding an electric contact and a snap switch member separated from said contact in all positions of rest, but momentarily engaging said,

contact in passing from onerest position to another.

5. In a device of the character described, the combination of an electromagnet, switch means for closing an electric circuit through said electromagnet, control means intermittently closing said switch, said switch being normally open but being closable by impact of said control means,

an impeller for said control means actuated by tion of an intermittently recurring control memher, an eleotromagnet circuit having a switch olosable by impact of said control member, an electromagnet actuated by closing of said switch, an impeller for said control means actuated by said magnet, a work circuit, a switch in said work circuit closa'ole by movement of said impeller, a main control switch having open and closed positions, said switch in the closed position establishing the electromagnet circuit through said first named switch means, said control switch in the closed position also establishing said work circuit through said second named switch, starting means associated with said main control switch for establislnng a circuit through said electmmagnet independently of said first named switch means momentarily as said control switch passes from open to closed position, said last named means being unengaged by said control switch in either open or closed position and being inoperable in all positions of said control 10 switch in which said work circuit is closed.

CHARLES GALLOT. ALBERT ALPAUGH. 

